Jessica Forrest, Ph.D

Empowerment Focused. In our partnership, you are the expert of your experience and the leader of your journey. My role is to be a supportive companion and compassionate witness to your healing process. If along the way you encounter places that feel stuck or overwhelming, I can offer practices designed to help by reconnecting you with your inner healing intelligence.

Trauma Informed. Many of us have experienced some form of trauma. Our partnership will be informed by the guiding principles of trauma-informed care with the intention to best support healing and prevent re-traumatization. These principles include safety; trustworthiness and transparency; collaboration and mutuality; empowerment, voice, and choice; and responsiveness to cultural, historical, and gender issues. My hope is that within our partnership you will feel cared for, listened to, understood, and respected.

Attachment Based. Trauma frequently involves or results in a rupture of our connection with ourselves, others, or life itself. With this understanding, our partnership can become a safe container to explore relational wounds and provide corrective experiences to promote repair. Across all healing modalities, the relationship between client and practitioner best predicts positive outcomes. For this reason, I will frequently invite you to explore how our connection feels for you and what is arising in the relational field between us.

Ethically Grounded. Protecting the welfare of clients in healing spaces is critical. I bring to my practice education and professional experience in the field of ethics. I follow the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association’s Standards of Practice, the Psychedelic Association of Canada’s Code of Ethics, and I have signed the North Star Pledge. To support the safety and well-being of my clients I participate in regular personal therapy, professional supervision, continuing education, external consultation, and peer mentorship.

Degrees

Honours Bachelor of Science (HBSc) - Specialist in Psychology

Master of Public Health (MPH) - Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - Psychology

Master of Arts (MA) - Counselling Psychology (In progress)

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Certificates

Certificate in Psychedelic Integration Therapy (Phoenix Academy)

Certificate in Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (Numinus)

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Certifications

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Informed Practitioner 

Dynamic Attachment Repatterning Experience (DARe) Practitioner 

Certified Trauma Professional (CTP)

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Courses

Psychedelics and Somatic Therapy (The Embody Lab)

The Science of Psychedelics: Professional Training in Psychedelic Medicine (Microdose)

Crisis and Trauma Counselling (Yorkville University)

Ethical Standards for Mental Health Service Providers (Yorkville University)

Fundamentals of Attachment Styles (Dr. Diane Poole Heller)

Attachment Strategies for Adult Relationships (Dr. Diane Poole Heller)

Neurobiology, Attachment & Secure Relationships (Dr. Diane Poole Heller)

Clinical Strategies to Address Complex Trauma (Dr. Diane Poole Heller)

Foundations of the IFS Model (Dr. Richard Schwartz)

Returning to Wholeness: A Guide to Understanding and Integrating Trauma (Dr. Gabor Mate)

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